So just been to pick up my new Crank Brothers Cobalt wheel set, and the bike shop told me that the SRAM 10 spd cassette wouldnt fit onto the free hub body! as it wasnt wide enough! and didnt give enough thread engagement.

I thought that 9 and 10 speed where the same width! they are arn’t they ?!!

Much faffing later, and the cassette was fitted 🙂 and then the freehub was put onto the hub…

The Hub flanges (where the spokes are laced to) clash with the inner rivet on the inside of the cassette…! Is that normal ?

I’ve read all sorts of stories about people having to file the hub away! but this will invalidate my warranty, AND I DON’T WANNA DO THAT!!

Any ideas or suggestions ?

Cheers. Adi

As you know I have been using the CB wheels for a couple of years, I have got through a few cassettes in that time and have never had one not fit. I have used Shimano 9spd and 10spd and SRAM 9spd, but not a SRAM 10spd. When I got the wheels they were supplied with a very thin plastic spacer (maybe 1mm) to fit behind a 9spd XT Shimano cassette to stop it touching the hub flange. The SRAM PG990 cassette I used didn’t need the thin spacer as the cassette has a different design. I have now switched to a 10spd setup with a Shimano 10spd XT cassette and have used a spacer, although it looked like it might have been ok without – the cassette didn’t touch the hub, but it looked close.

I have found 2Pure very good with their support, if you are concerned get in touch with them and I am sure they will help you out.

http://www.crankbrothers.com/support/faq_wheelset.php

Compatibility
All crankbrothers wheels are compatible with Shimano and SRAM style 9-speed cassettes.

And Google is your friend…

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?202477-Crank-Brothers-Cobalt-Wheels-XT-sprocket-set-problem

Hi mate, you’re missing a thin alloy spacer that is needed for XT and sometimes XTR cassettes, any bike shop should fling you one for free.

probs need a 0.75mm spacer, a decent local shop should have one for you.

Jason:

Are the spacers that your on about sort of clear / blueish nylon / plastic and very thin ? If they are we did wonder what they where for, they looked like they would crush under a bit of pressure. the guy’s in the shop had no idea, and 2 pure had gone home at 4pm so they couldnt help either.

BR:

Looks like what we need to do HOWEVER there was very little thread engagement on the cassette locking ring as it was without the spacer… so much for 9 & 10 speed being the same width! So I guess fitting the spacer will mean NO threads for the lock ring ?

I was SOOOOO excited to ride these wheels this weekend, but i’m gonna have to wait until next week when me & the shop can get hold of 2 pure for advice.

Yes very thin, sorry I can’t remember the colour. When I fitted the 10spd cassette I had lost the one I had originally so cut another one out of a thin bit of plastic (I think it was an old race number plate).

A metal spacer like the one that is needed on Mavic hubs would be too big.

Jason: By very thin I mean paper thin…

I’ll see what 2 pure have to suggest on Monday as I’ve resigned myself to the fact that i’m not riding on them the weekend! booo

You still using your Cobalts ? Any routine maintenance tips or issues that you’d care to share with me ?

Ta

I normally use them once or twice a week. No special maintenance required. I have never touched the front bearings in nearly three years. The rear bearings are easy to change, I have found the bearings they are supplied with are very durable, so they have only needed changing a couple of times in that time.

If you have the newer style rearhub you will find the freehub mechanism stays clean. I tend to check mine every few months.

Jason, Yeah new free hub design with a bit more “meat” around the pawls (sp?) its the Hexagonal one.

Had a similar problem with my Iodines. SRAM 1050 cassette and there’s not much thread for it to grip. The thin spacers are required to stop the rear of the cassette knocking the hub, and the lock ring needs some effort to force it to engage the threads, but then it screwed up and torqued to 40Nm properly.

However, now the hub has cracked on the top threads and the lockring came loose recently on a ride.

I’ve got the circular hub design I think, so that’s the older one I take it?

Any answer from 2pure?

p.s. I’ve read comments about some lockrings being deeper than others. Is it possible to get a deeper lockring? Also would a Shimano 10 speed be a better fit?

I’ve got the circular hub design I think, so that’s the older one I take it?

However, now the hub has cracked on the top threads and the lockring came loose recently on a ride.

Yes that’s the OLD hub design, and under the 2 yr guarantee 2pure “should~” replace it FOC. 🙂 give em a call.

Old Design:

New Design – with more “meat” around the pawls:

Any answer from 2pure?

Yeah they where great… once I got through there silly – “sorry we are experiencing technical delays” phone system, oh BTW they go home at 4pm on Friday! The thin Blue / clear spacers that come with the wheels re for spacing the cassette away from the hub spoke flange.

My Bike shop have fitted it all up nicely now 🙂 and I love the wheels.

p.s. I’ve read comments about some lockrings being deeper than others. Is it possible to get a deeper lockring? Also would a Shimano 10 speed be a better fit?

Not sure about lock rings, but a Shimano 10 sp cassette has the rivets in a slightly wider ring… so they clear the hub spoke flanges better. We tried a Shimano 10 sp in the shop before I got to the bottom of the issue with 2pure.

All Fitted:

is that frame not too small?

NOPE… The back is fairly low on a Canyon Nerve AM and the saddle is high cos I rode it to work and like a really stretch out leg when riding on the road. When off road I drop it a fair way.

There’s plenty of post in the seat tube still too.

Fit’s me and my riding style perfectly.

how long is the post seems to be at least 250mm out the tube if not more?

Crack in my case is a different issue to the cracked old style hub (found this one also about that http://bicycling.com/blogs/thestraightdirt/2011/07/08/tested-crank-brothers-warranty-department/ )

I pulled the freehub and it’s the hexagonal type, new design.

I think in my case it highlights the 10 speed threading issue. I think the lack of thread has caused the thread on the hub to crack under load.

Deadkenny – so are you gonna give 2pure a call ? as for a expensive set of wheels that are supposedly 10 speed compatible that’s BAD !

I see your cassette has also been rubbing on the spoke flanges on the hub body !

2pure are on the case (via the LBS). New freehub in the post.

Yeah, the screws on the back of the cassette have been rubbing, though how much was me and how much prior use I don’t know as it was an ex-demo bike.

I used the thin spacers and it seems to clear the spoke flanges, *just*, although sometimes if I walk along with the bike and rear is freewheeling, or I spin the wheel by hand so it freewheels, it catches and the pedals spin. I don’t know if it’s the flanges though or the hub is dodgy. Riding it’s okay. Have had a few chain suck issues but don’t think that’s from freewheeling, more when shifting at the front.

Still, maybe I should switch to Shimano cassette just in case.

Drop me a mail if you need a deeper threaded cassette lockring.

I definitely have a few deeper 12T steel lockrings, and may have a deeper 11T steel one.

I will straight-swap for yours.

paul.r.davisAThotmail.co.uk

Got freehub replaced.

Further on the 10sp compatibility. Definitely with the SRAM at least the top cog does not slide onto the freehub, just sits on top of the cog beneath and spins round. The lock ring tightens it up though and stops it spinning.

Not sure if the cog has engaged with the splines on the freehub after being compressed down by the lock ring, but I’m concerned about it. A deeper lock ring may not make much of a difference, don’t know.

Done it up with the current lock ring I’ve got and all seems solid and tight. Though went to a lower torque as not happy with high torque steel in aluminium.

Other option is Shimano cassette. Anyone know if these fit onto the freehub properly, i.e. all cogs slide onto the spline?

Else it’s bin 10 speed, but I’ve got a full X0 10speed set up and costly to switch!

or bin the wheels? Really don’t see the attraction of them tbh, especially with CBs reputation.

I am running the CB Iodine wheelset and have recently changed from 9 speed SRAM to 10 Speed SRAM (with PG1070 cassette) and when I first fitted it I had the shock of the cassette fouling on the spoke connections to the hub.

I put two of the blue nylon washers on the freehub and have had no issues whatsoever. I have not suffered from the lock ring issues that you have either, so not really sure why yours would be different?

Not really that helpful, but thought I’d post and let you know before you bin all the X0 10 speed stuff (PS: Mine is all SRAM X0, i.e. shifters & mech – so it sounds like a similar set up to yours).

Not sure why either. PG1050 cassette rather than 1070 but surely it’s the same depth, or maybe the lockring is different.

Think I’ve got three spacers at the back. Two was knocking the hub. Again perhaps difference in the cassettes.

Switching to a Shimano cassette was another thought. May fit without the spacers and have a deeper sit on the hub then.

And yeah, X0 groupset except the shifters which are X9.

or bin the wheels? Really don’t see the attraction of them tbh, especially with CBs reputation.

Just came with the bike and looked blingy. I hadn’t done much research on them to be honest and bike was a bargain. Then I looked at the reviews!

This wasn’t the first warranty case on the wheel either. The supposedly super tough rim had a critical ‘ding’ on the seam. It’s had a few more too.

My old cheap Alex Rim wheels from my old bike, still going strong with no hub issues (Formula hubs) and not a single rim ding in 3 years. Running them on my hardtail and converted to 10 speed recently and cassette fitted perfectly, no problems at all (PG1050)

HI GUYS PLZ HELP ME TOO I ALSO GOT A SRAM XO 10 SPEED SETUP ON MY CUBE HPC ELITE CARBON HARDTAIL 2012 THE ISSUES U CHAPS WERE HAVING WERE THEY THE COBALT 2 OR 3 AFTER COMING ON THIS FORUM I GOT IN TOUCH WIV CRANK BROTHERS THEY TOLD ME THAT THE COBALT
3 WAS COMPATIBLE WIV THE XO 10 SPEED SETUP . THE PROBS THEY HAD WER WIV 2011 HUBS BUT NOT WIV THE 2012 HUBS GUYS PLZ HELP